South Down covers a broad part of County Down and includes towns, villages and extensive rural landscapes between the Irish Sea, the Mourne Mountains and inland agricultural areas. Newry lies outside or on the edge of the wider regional setting, while smaller towns provide the main local service centres within the constituency. The coastline, mountain landscapes and river valleys create considerable physical variety. Settlement is widely dispersed outside the larger towns, and road links connect communities toward Belfast, Newry and the border. Overall, the seat has a strongly rural and scenic character, combining coastal settlements, market towns and upland communities.
Election data comes from UK Parliament. Turnout percentage is calculated by Project Open Gov from Parliament's turnout and electorate figures.
People and place
A population and household snapshot for South Down, using validated House of Commons Library constituency datasets.
Estimated population106,164
EstimateMid-2023 estimate
Region / nationNorthern Ireland
Age profile
0 to 1724.6% · 26,148 people
18 to 247.2% · 7,614 people
25 to 3410.9% · 11,599 people
35 to 4919.2% · 20,403 people
50 to 6419.9% · 21,168 people
65 and over18.1% · 19,232 people
Population figures are mid-2024 estimates from the House of Commons Library. Project Open Gov calculates the estimated population shown above by summing the six published age-band counts. View population source ↗
Home ownership and renting
Housing tenure shows how households in this constituency described their home at the most recent census.
39,141 householdsCensus 2021
Home owners70.1% · 27,426 households
Private renters17.4% · 6,828 households
Social renters9.3% · 3,653 households
Other tenure3.2% · 1,234 households
“Other tenure” combines shared ownership and households recorded as living rent free.
Housing-tenure figures come from the most recent census: 2021 in England, Wales and Northern Ireland and 2022 in Scotland. View housing-tenure source ↗
Household composition
A broad view of household types in this constituency. Project Open Gov uses the four broad groups supplied by the Commons Library so the presentation remains consistent across the UK.
39,144 householdsCensus 2021
One-person households26.8% · 10,483 households
Families with dependent children34.0% · 13,304 households
Other single-family households36.6% · 14,332 households
Other household types2.6% · 1,025 households
Household-composition figures come from the Commons Library constituency dataset. The source uses census data and Project Open Gov displays its broad household groups rather than attempting to harmonise the detailed categories itself. View household-composition source ↗
Disability and day-to-day activities
The source records whether day-to-day activities are limited and uses separate person-level tables for England & Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
105,241 people in the source baseCensus 2021Source comparison: Northern Ireland
Day-to-day activities limited a lot10.4% · 10,995 people
Day-to-day activities limited a little12.2% · 12,787 people
Non-disabled77.4% · 81,459 people
Comparison note: the workbook uses different source terminology across the UK: England & Wales uses “Disabled under the Equality Act”, while Scotland and Northern Ireland use “Disabled” / “Non-disabled”. Project Open Gov therefore preserves the source categories and does not present them as one single like-for-like UK legal definition.
Disability figures come from the Commons Library constituency workbook. This profile uses the person-level tables only; the workbook also contains separate household-level disability tables which are not used here. View disability source ↗
Petitions
Open UK Government and Parliament petitions that have reached at least 10,000 signatures nationally, ranked here by the number of signatures recorded in this constituency.
Petition signatures are not a poll and do not show what the constituency as a whole thinks. A person can also sign more than one petition.
Open petitionCloses 8 December 2026
End the mandatory fortification of white flour with folic acid immediately
Signatures in this constituency186
Signatures nationally128,395
Government response published · Debate scheduled for 14 December 2026
Signature counts come from the official UK Government and Parliament petitions data and may change while a petition remains open. Browse official petitions ↗
Funding and local projects
National Lottery grants awarded to organisations recorded in this parliamentary constituency since 4 July 2024.
The constituency is based on the recipient organisation recorded in the source data. The funded activity may sometimes take place across a wider area.
Grants recorded116
Total awarded£5,748,859
Most recent awards
National Lottery grantAwarded 24 June 2026
#LC Strangford and Lecale AONB
Newry, Mourne and Down District Council
£816,006
The National Lottery Heritage Fund · Heritage
About this award
Lottery investment will enable local people to create a connected, climate-resilient landscape across the 90,603 ha of Strangford & Lecale AONB: a “wholescape†approach where habitats are bigger, better and more joined-up where communities lead how people and nature reconnect. Our project is driven by three core innovations: 1. Community Clusters – local stewardship hubs co-designing best practice interventions and leaving an empowered legacy. 2. A flexible, evidence-based Library of Measures – tailored approaches to habitat restoration and heritage care that fit local land use while delivering public goods: biodiversity, clean water, carbon storage and flood mitigation. 3. A strategic Nature Recovery Network (NRN) – ensuring landscape scale, connected habitat recovery aligned with regional policy and community priorities. We will embed systemic change in governance, land management and community practice, restoring key habitats, reviving traditional knowledge, and creating inclusive pathways for engagement, skills, volunteering and youth leadership that sustain a thriving people–nature relationship.
National Lottery grantAwarded 19 June 2026
Regenerate: Provision for Children and Young People
Kilkeel Parish Bridge Association Limited
£425,857
The National Lottery Community Fund · Charitable and Community including Health, Education and Environment
About this award
Kilkeel Parish Bridge Association Limited - Children & Young People - Strengthening Communities
National Lottery grantAwarded 18 June 2026
Saintfield Monday Club Summer Outing
Saintfield Monday Club
£875
The National Lottery Community Fund · Charitable and Community including Health, Education and Environment
About this award
Saintfield Monday Club - Community - Awards for All Northern Ireland
National Lottery grantAwarded 16 June 2026
ADHD hub
ADHD Parent Support Group Co Down
£19,749
The National Lottery Community Fund · Charitable and Community including Health, Education and Environment
About this award
ADHD Parent Support Group Co Down - Community - Awards for All Northern Ireland
National Lottery grantAwarded 15 June 2026
Strengthening Community Voice through FM105 Down Community Radio
Down Community Radio
£19,997
The National Lottery Community Fund · Charitable and Community including Health, Education and Environment
About this award
Down Community Radio - Community - Awards for All Northern Ireland
111 more awards are available.
Source: DCMS National Lottery Grants Database. The figures shown cover awards from 4 July 2024 to 1 July 2026. View official grants data ↗
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